Kid Pirates

Ahoy mateys: KIM’s Playhouse’s 2nd annual KidPirates Day is coming to Ardoyne Plantation in Houma Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This year’s theme is “The Earth is Our Treasure” and leading the way is the good pirate Captain Papillion.

KIM’s Playhouse executive director Wendy Jeffcoat promises barnyard fun with a petting zoo and pony rides, magical entertainment, bounce n’ around inflatables, games, a dunk tank, hay rides, bubbles, crafts, recycling fun and, to satisfy young pirates, a treasure hunt. Bonnie Wells and 7-year-old Akhari Rainy, a student at East Houma Elementary School, are slated to sing. And at 1 p.m., the best dressed pirate will be selected.

“The day was such a great success last year,” Jeffcoat said. “We really enjoyed it. KIM’s Playhouse is all about taking care of the environment, so we knew we’d be back this year.”

Jeffcoat, a teacher and librarian at East Houma Elementary, founded Kids in Motion Playhouse Discovery Museum. The nonprofit organization offers programs that encourage learning through play for children and families. Jeffcoat said fundraisers such as KidPirates Day are helping raise money to build the museum, currently a mobile operation, a permanent home in the Houma area.

Without a doubt, one of the day’s highlights is the appearance of Captain Papillion, the singing, dancing pirate whose “unplundering” message is sure to delight the young at heart. Papillion is a national award-winning musician and storyteller from New Orleans. He’s known in the region for his mix of Louisiana cultural music and stories, featuring Cajun, Zydeco and New Orleans music for children and families.

“KidPirates Day is a wonderful thing,” the good captain said in a phone interview. “Through story-telling, songs of pirating and of the sea and having fun, children learn about the importance of unplundering the earth and the sea. Kids and adults get it. It’s inspiring to see.”

Captain Papillion challenges his young crew to keep the KidPirates Code … “Unplundering of the Good Earth and the Sea, for the Earth is our Treasure.”

The mastermind behind KidPirates, Papillion said he wanted to create a wholesome, positive way to teach children. Shedding the typical “bad guy” image of pirates and pirate lore, his good pirates learn the importance of taking care of our planet.

The message begins with plundering, an image typically associated with pirates. “Every day, we take away from the planet. Maybe we leave a light on or don’t recycle. It’s a little thing, but all the little things matter,” Papillion said. “I equate it to taking away a coin at a time. That coin is a small piece of the treasure. When we take it away, we cause harm to our Earth.”

Teaching and empowering youngsters about little things resonates well, he said. “They are little and they value being little. Telling them that little things make a difference rings true with their thinking.

“Children look at the world in a micro sort of way but they also see the macro way this plays out,” Papillion continued. “Tapping into that thinking helps them realize that, working together, we can save our planet for generations to come.”

By unplundering, youngsters are encouraged to find a good thing to do for the Earth each day. “They see the problems. They know about the BP oil spill and the problems it left behind on the surface and below the water. They realize that every time we go to the gas pump and take the handle out, we add to the problem,” the artist said. “But by refilling our world, refilling the treasure chest, there will be plenty for all.

“The treasure doesn’t even belong to us. It belongs to our children and their grandchildren. Why would we ever want to plunder their future?”

Papillion equates the Earth to a pirate’s ship preparing for a long journey. “The code of all sailors and pirates is that if the crew takes care of her ship, the ship will take care of you. It is the same way with the Earth. She is the good ship Gaya and we are her crew in the story I share. Breaking it down that way really works for the kids.”

Papillion created the Captain four years ago shortly after the Audubon Zoo in New Orleans opened its pirate area. On a whim, the longtime educator dressed in a pirate costume.

“Initially, I couldn’t see the teachable in it,” Papillion explained. “I don’t do kiddie music. I try to impart value in learning.”

It didn’t take long, however, to notice that children responded to the pirate. The captain theorizes that movies like “Pirates of the Carribbean” and Jack Sparrow helped pave the way. But being rogue has always been in Papillion’s blood. Before long, the teacher found the pirate inside himself and the idea of KidPirates was born.

“I’ve always been that way,” he said. “And kids are amused by pirates. He doesn’t take orders. He’s the captain of his own ship.”

To be rogue in KidPirates world is to do the other thing, Papillion said. “It’s to be imaginative, creative and playful … and maybe just a bit mischievous.”

KidPirates has since been trademarked. Papillion envisions a movement of KidPirates across the country working to unplunder the Earth and continue to spread the message. “It would be amazing to see small crews of KidsPirates offering peer-to-peer encouragement and inspiration to each other.”

KIM’s Playhouse’s 2nd Annual KidPirates Day

Where: Ardoyne Plantation

When: Sept. 24 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Cost: Free admission

For More Info: (800) 256-2931 or cajuncoast.org